Charlotte messenger. [volume] (Charlotte, Mecklenburg Co., N.C.) 1882-18??, 1887-01-01
Tho Plan of Salvation a Perfect Ono.

INC ran OF 6aIVatlon n PcrteCC ONO.
The Rev. A. w. Halsey, of the Spring
Street Presbyterian Church, took for his
theme The Lamb slain from the founda-
ton of tho world" saying in part: ut is
human 10 err. BlunderS are natural. We
pardon bunder IN boy that would be
lnexcusable in man. We overlook
the mistakes of an apprentice. We
condemn the master workman. We
can even overlook the mistakes of Moses
But God is charged with blunder in max
ing man. When a builder has to prop up a
building because he failed TO lay a good
foundation we call him buugler, bnt can
we say that God made man and then had to
introduce the prop of salvation to keep this
human structure from fallingl Did God fail
to make goo1 piece of work at the start
and then try to remedy matters by propping
up the shaky edifcei II this is so, then
salvation is an after thought God has made
n mistake and then the Gospel seeks to
strengthen matters. If this is true. then the
Gospel IS only pie,e of new cloth to patch
an old garment Is the Gospel q mere device
to save the reputation OF the Creator! Such
a representation is unworthy Of the idea of
God. Such a representation is unscrip-
tural
salvation is not an after thought Sal
walton cnn say of sin what Christ said of
Abraham, before sin was-I am. Christ was
slain before the foundation Of the world. The
crO'S was Seb Dy Tue throne OF OOQ DetOre IL
was borne to Golgotha. Tho Garden of Geth-
semane was before Eden. The kingdom was
prepared from the foundation of the world
The scheme of salvation may not meet
with your approval, but it is consistent.
There is no blunder. 1t is as the Archi.
tect designed. There has been no change. The
Lamb was slain before the mountains were
brought forth or the earth formed. The Bible
is unit The Old Testament and the New
know of only one plan: The Lamb slain
from the foundation OF the world The cru.
cited Christ IS the starting point, as il is the
consummation OF redemption Jesus Christ
was Saviour before the star shone on e
manger-cradle or the angels sang on the
plains of Bethlehem.
81 Ielieve that the amb slan is the power
that makes for righteo1sne all over the
world. Because the poor heathea canuo.
spell Christ as l spsll it, this is no reason
for saying that the Christ, the Lamb slain.
may not be his Saviour. Redemption Is
wider than we think il. Il was before the
world, so believe it is for the world. Let us
beware lest we limit the sweep OF this Cos
pei, which was before time and which is to
stretch into eternity. yield TO no one in
my adherence TO the orthodox view of
salvation / believe that the Bible as
well as experience teaches that God
hates sin with perfect hatred. The modern
idea Of n God who is all love and pity. and
who win clear the guilty without the in
fiiction OF punishment, is ba ed on false
morality MS well rs a false theology. God al
lowed man TO b. pushed into the water, but.
long before, lie placeda life boat Their, so that
il sin abounded gracs did much more aboun.-
Blunderl No There was no blunder. Sin
was part o. the plan and fallen man re-.
deemed Is higher type Of being than un-
fallen man"